When Parents Need Support, Too

The Challenges of Parenting a Neurodiverse Child

Parenting a kid with ADHD can be hard. Getting an accurate diagnosis for your child, choosing whether or how to medicate, navigating school and friends, managing anger and aggression, and helping everyone get a decent night’s sleep are just the start.

Then there’s you. Your overwhelm, your frustration, your guilt, your isolation, your shame.

Then there’s your family. The fights and tension between you and your partner. The times you feel you’re short-changing your other kids. The way it seems your kid’s condition is the center of everything your family does.

And in the middle of all this, you may be starting to see yourself in your kid. You might have ADHD, too.

It’s easy to feel at your wits’ end. As a father of a son with ADHD, I know exactly how all this feels. And being neurodiverse myself, I know what it feels like to be a kid whose brain doesn’t work like everyone else’s. 

I know how important parenting a neurodiverse child can be. Because you’re the person who spends the most time with them and has the greatest impact on their lives. Because you may be the only grown-up in the world who has your kid’s back. Because even when they’re driving you up the wall and hurling insults at you, your kid still loves and needs you.

My coaching helps parents of kids with ADHD understand their kids’ minds so they can reconnect with their kids and love them as they are.

Hi, I’m Craig!

I’m a coach and former university professor who works with parents who’s kids have ADHD. I’m passionate about leadership, trauma and relational well-being, and I see parenting as the biggest and most rewarding leadership role there is. In addition to my Ph.D. in interpersonal communication and certification by the International Coaching Federation, I hold certifications in developmental and complex trauma and body-oriented coaching.

My goal in coaching is to give you a place where you can think and reflect outside your daily grind. I don’t try to “fix” you with advice that makes you feel inadequate or guilty for not measuring up as a parent. 

Instead, I listen, support and gently challenge you to grow. I give you a confidential place to breathe and reflect on where you are right now. And I help you clarify what you want, be honest about who and where you are, create a structure to succeed, and hold yourself accountable for making the changes you want to see in your kids and your family.

My interests include reading, trail running, yoga and vegan baking. Originally from Pittsburgh, USA, I currently live in Germany with my wife, Gabi, and two sons.

You can check out my website at: https://www.craigmaier.com/ to learn more about me and the work I do.

Parent coaching works alongside the rest of your child’s care team but with one big difference: It focuses entirely on helping you show up well for your kid.

Over six, 50-minute sessions, you can learn to:

  • Appreciate your child’s strengths and gifts

  • Understand your child’s executive functions

  • Manage your overwhelm and burnout

  • Address difficult behaviors

  • Release your guilt and shame

  • Improve communication with your child

  • Navigate anger and meltdowns

  • Establish effective reward systems

  • Create healthy family routines

  • Advocate for your child

Educational Background

Academic and Professional

  • Ph.D. in interpersonal, organizational and ethical communication

  • Former professor of leadership communication at Duquesne University

  • 13 years’ experience as a professional communicator and consultant for nonprofit organizations

Coaching